'The best of us': Mourning masses honour the multi-faceted Pacific leader

Hundreds of family, friends, colleagues and supporters shed and shared tears and hugs yesterday for Fa'anānā Efeso Collins at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau yesterday.

The front doors opened at midday to the mourning masses, comforted by the sound of a Gospel band singing, Friend of God by Israel Houghton.

Over a week ago 49-year-old Green MP Fa'anānā Efeso Collins passed away, collapsing in Auckland's CBD whilst taking part in a ChildFund Water run to support communities in the Pacific region.

As the ceremony's MC Taito Eddie Tuiavii put it: "Eight days ago a mighty totara fell in the forest that is Tāmaki Makaurau.

"The impact of its falling traversed far beyond the city he loved so dearly," Tuiavii said, connecting to the service's opening poem by award-winning poet Karlo Milo who called Fa'anānā a "son of Sāmoa, child of Aotearoa".

A sea of puletasi, Pacific shirts and lei adorning a crowd full of culture from the Pacific and beyond. Photo/Joseph Safiti.

A man of family and faith

Various speakers spoke of Fa'anānā's love for his wife Vasa Fia Collins and their two daughters Kaperiela and Asalemo.

What encompassed the family like many Pacific families was a devotion to Christianity. Their love for God was evident in how the service was conducted, filled with an abundance of bible references alongside hymns sung in both Sāmoan and English.

Sister Jemima-Solo Collins said that it was their Aunty's funeral that inspired Fa'anānā to say "when I'm gone I want people to give praise to the creator of heaven and earth, not to me - the creation - praise him."

She says as a child Fa'anānā was affectionately known as 'Boppa', and that he enjoyed cricket and TV news and had a love for trivia birthed by their father's salesman work of encyclopedias.

"We didn't have much growing up in Ōtara but we were raised with an abundance of love and that made us pretty rich," Jemima-Solo said.

She finished her tribute by referring to the family's pride in Ōtara, otherwise known as "the home of the brave".

"From 274 Promise Land to his eternal promise land. Manuia lau malaga (rest in peace), Boppa, until we meet in the clouds."

The Adeaze Family perform "The Lord is my light". Photo/Joseph Safiti

A path maker for the youth of Ōtara: 'Once TC, always TC'

As a teen Fa'anānā left Auckland Grammar School after just two weeks due to racist comments, leading him to attend Tangaroa College before heading to Auckland University.

Tangaroa College performed a haka for their prominent alumni both at their school and at the service. Head boy Roy Eric-Sanae says he remembers Fa'anānā helping him come out of his shell in his second year.

"Now I'm very confident and feel a connection since he was head boy as well.

"I feel like I'm walking in his footsteps."

Head girl Suzy Tuigamala says that every testimony, song, tribute and various faces from all walks of life who attended gave her "goosebumps".

"To see everyone come together to celebrate Efeso's life shows how he's had an impact on everyone.

"He spoke at our school just last year and right after that I told my friend he's a really good guy.

"I never expected a politician to come in and crack jokes."

A political presence permeated with promise

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Mayor Wayne Brown attended to pay respects, along with Labour's Carmel Sepuloni and former-PM Chris Hipkins.

Luxon says two weeks ago he and Fa'anānā conversed one-on-one about work-life balance as members of Parliament.

"He always carried the family with him everywhere he went. Very intelligent, thoughtful, gracious, with massive dignity and determination.

"I'm going to leave here very inspired that we've got a great country and we've got to work and come together to get things done."

The crowd also included Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, community leader Dave Letele and radio host Mariner Fagaiava.

A strong wit with a sharp tongue in politics and comedy

Fa'anānā's affinity for humour as a means to develop meaningful connections was consistently highlighted by speakers, matching their tributes where audiences never missed a laugh.

Green MP Teanau Tuiono, who has known Fa'anānā for almost 30 years, praised Fa'anānā's versatile humour and wisdom.

"Dude was funny man, but he was also incredibly serious as well making connections very quickly.

"I'll miss everything about him and his political presence, and community spirit.

"We were ready to go as Pasifika in the Greens so it's a massive loss for us."

Co-leader Marama Davidson shared Tuiono's sentiment for Fa'anānā's humour.

She fondly recalled when a marquee full of Ngāpuhi at this year's Waitangi event roared with laughter as Fa'anānā joked that he came in the hopes that his Sāmoan rangatahi (youth) could spark romance with their "Tai Tokerau beauties".

And in acknowledgement of his family and girls, Marama said "he lived for the power of Pacific women".

"The Green Party cherished his pride for his Sāmoan and Tokelauan whakapapa (heritage)," Davidson says.

"Fa'anānā Efeso Collins, you are brilliant in your intelligence, humour, activism, generosity and power."

A man of his people, a man of the people

Many speakers shared condolences to widow Vasa Fia Collins and their two daughters, alongside thanking them for sharing Fa'anānā's gifts with the world.

Auckland Council's Head of Community Impact, Dickie Humphries said it was thanks to the "gentle nudge" and "masterplan" of Fa'anānā that led him to mentorship.

"He made me feel special which in itself is not special because that's how he made us all feel.

"We build an Aotearoa he longed for for his daughters'. An Aotearoa where you can be Sāmoan, a civic leader and not be in receipt of racist rebuke.

"If we follow Efeso's example, alofa (love) will be the path and tautua (service) will be the way.

"Fia, Kaperiela and Asalemo thank you for sharing our friend so generously, for giving him joy, for loving him so."

Final tributes saw widow Vasa Fia Collins take the stage alongside their daughters, with Vasa saying the greatest gifts he gave her was their two daughters. She also said he always served their needs before his own.

"This was not exclusive though to us, he loved people from all walks of life.

"I learned early on in my relationship with Fes that he was not someone I could keep to myself. I knew I had to share him with the world. He was a special gift and a blessing to me.

Vasa Fia Collins alongside their two daughters'. Photo/Joseph Safiti

"Fes died serving others. He has finished his leg of the race and now the baton is firmly in all of our hands.

"Please don't let all that he did, all his hard work, blood, sweat and tears be for nothing.

"We have shared Efeso in life and now we share him in his death.

"He was the very best of us."

Fia shared that Fa'anānā was fond of the poem The Rose That Grew From Concrete by Tupac Shakur, a fitting allegory for those who transcend the hardships of their urban environment to, like Fa'anānā, "blossom and bloom in the face of adversity".

Did you hear about the rose that grew

from a crack in the concrete?

Proving nature's law is wrong it

learned to walk without having feet.

Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,

it learned to breathe fresh air.

Long live the rose that grew from concrete

when no one else ever cared.

PMN News expresses deep condolences, love and prayers to those impacted by the loss of a prominent Pacific son, brother, uncle, husband, father and leader for the community.